23 Sep S3 French Residential Visit – 2025
S3 (Yr 5) had a super educational residential trip to Chateau d’Ebblinghem. High points were certainly the privilege of presenting our School colours and of laying a wreath at the incredibly moving Menin Gate evening service, where we met some Canadian soldiers from the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, who had served in Afghanistan and were also at Menin Gate to lay a wreath for a 1st World War soldier from their regiment who had at last got a headstone, as he had been identified through relatives DNA.
This year, as well as Hill 62 and Bayenwald, we also visited Essex Farm Cemetery, probably the most visited WW1 Cemetery as it contains the youngest British casualty, Valentine Joe Strudwick, who died in the trenches at the age of 15. Next to Essex Farm is the Medical Triage Post where Dr John MaCrae served. He wrote the famous poem ‘In Flanders’ Fields’. Well done to S3, particularly for a poignant reading aloud of this famous poem actually at Essex Farm as was first done in 1915. We also managed to visit the beautiful Cathedral of St Omer and the fascinating Nausicaa Sea Life Centre in Boulogne, as well as the awesome Vimy Ridge Canadian Memorial.
